Machine for applying handles to paper bags or the like



Nov. 10, 1959 w. G. PHILLIPS ETAL 2,911,927

MACHINE FOR APPLYING HANDLES TO PAPER BAGS OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. 11, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 QUUIIEIUU EJEJ-HIII 26 EHIHIHII INVENTORS WALLACE 6. PHILLIPS WILL/AM 0- HALL HE/VRY H. OVERSTREET ,arromvsrs [ISSUED [1:111:13

Nov. 10, 1959 w. G. PHILLIPS ET AL 2,911,927

MACHINE FOR APPLYING HANDLES TO PAPER BAGS OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. 11, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS WALLACE 6. PH/LL/PS WILL/AM 0. HALL BYHE/VRY H. OVERSTREET ATTORNEYS United States Patent MACHINE FOR APPLYING HANDLES TO PAPER BAGS OR THE LIKE Wallace G. Phillips, Hayward, and William 0. Hall and Henry H. Overstreet, San Lorenzo, Calif.

Application February 11, 1957, Serial No. 639,356

Claims. (Cl. 112-2) This invention relates to machines for applying handles to bags and particularly to machines for applying a handle strip to a bag at the time and as a part of the stitching operation which serves to close an open end of a bag.

In our co pending application entitled, Container Handle Construction and Method of Producing Same, Serial No. 604,474, filed in the United States Patent Office on August 16, 1956 we disclosed a container handle formed of a handle strip such as jute cord or other material stitched to the bag in the same operation that closes the end of the bag on a conventional stitching machine. As described in said application, the handle strip is fed and guided into the line of stitching so that it is securely fastened adjacent the end of the bag by the same stitched thread that provides the closure. 'It is necessary in order to form a handle to move the handle strip out of the line of stitching for a space, preferably centrally disposed with respect to the width of the bag, thus providing an unstitched portion or loop through which the hand may be inserted for carrying the bag.

It is the object of the present invention to provide, in combination with a conventional bag stitching machine, means to feed a handle strip into the line of stitching and means to withdraw the strip from said line at timed intervals as the bags pass a stitching station to provide the structure and advantages set forth in the above named co-pending application.

Further and more specific objects and advantages of the present invention and the manner in which it is car ried into practice are made apparent in the following specification wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a conventional bag stitching machine at the stitching station and showing the application thereto of the handle applying mechanism of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the same general portion of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line IIIHI of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a bag end with a handle applied by the machine of the present invention; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modification of a part of a machine.

Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing illustrate those portions of a bag advancing and stitching mechanism which are necessary to an understanding of the present invention. A table 10, shown in Fig. 1, is slotted to expose a pair of bag advancing chains 11, one of which is also illustrated in Fig. 2 which chains are driven in unison by a conventional mechanism and have spaced lugs 12 which project above the surface of the table 19 with their ends to be closed in registry with one edge of the table so that they will pass under the stitching station which comprises a presser foot 13 and a needle 14 both of which Patented Nov. 10, 1959 "ice form parts of a conventional sewing or stitching machine not shown. The bags are also held fiat upon the table by hold down plates such as illustrated at 15 and 16 spaced slightly above the surface of the table.

In closing many bags, a tape, which is illustrated as carried on a supply roll 17, is suitably guided by a V-shaped folding bar 18 so that it is folded over the open end of the bag just before the stitching operation and is stitched thereto to form a closure for the bag. The final position of the tape is also illustrated at 17 in Fig. 4 where one end of the bag is shown at 19.

The machine of the present invention also applies a handle strip 20to the bag with a loop 21 formed centrally to provide the actual handle and this handle strip is secured to the bag by the same row of stitching which closes the bag and secures the tape 17 thereto. The application of the handle strip is accomplished by feeding a cord-like element 20 from a supply roll 22 illustrated in Fig. 2 and guiding it through an eye in the end of a bar 23 into the line of stitching which is produced by the needle 14. In order to withdraw the handle strip 20 from the line of stitching at properly timed intervals so that the handle loop 21 is formed centrally of each bag as it passes the stitching station, the bar 23 is slidably carried in a block 24 secured to the top of the holddown plate 15 and is retractable by a lever 25 pivotally supported on a post 26-. This lever is urged toward its advanced position as by a spring partially shown at 27 and is swung to a position which retracts the bar 23 away from the line of stitching by means of an electromagnet illustrated at 29. The armature 3% of the electromagnet is pivotally connected to the end of the lever itself. A pin and slot connection 31 between the lever and the bar 23 effects retraction of the bar when the electro-magnet 29 is energized and holds it in a retracted position until it is de-energized. Energization and deenergization of the electro-magnet at intervals properly timed with respect to the advancing movement of the bag is accomplished by a pair of micro switches 33 and 34 having contact fingers 35 and 36, respectively, and both adjustably supported on a slotted bar 37 as by bolts 38. The bar 37 is disposed above and parallel to the surface of the table 14) and may itself be supported by a bolt 39 on parallel bars 40 which extend transversely of the table top. The arrangement is such that the actuating fingers 35 and 36 depend into the path of travel of the bags during the time that they are being stitched so that the leading edge of the bag contacts first the finger 35 to close the switch 33 and energize the electro-magnet 29 and when the bag has traveled a pre-determined distance corresponding to the spacing between the switches, the finger 36 of the switch 34 contacts the leading edge and breaks the circuit to the electro-magnet 29. Since the electrical circuit for accomplishing this is conventional, it is not herein illustrated. Since the micros-witches 33 and 34- are adjustably positioned on the slotted bar 37, they may be spaced to accommodate bags of different widths and to effect the withdrawal and replacement of the handle strip at the precise times necessary to locate the handle loop centrally of the bag and to make it as long or short as may be desired.

In the operation of the machine just described, the bags are advanced in succession through the stitching and taping station and the handle strip 20 is continuously applied to the end of the bag by the stitching operation with the exception of the intervals when the strip is withdrawn from beneath the needle 14 to provide the handle loop 21. The process is, of course, a continuous one and the closure tape and handle strip are severed between bags by any suitable means.

In some cases and particularly where the contents of the {bag are to be heavy, a double handle strip is applied and in such cases a second supply roll identical to the one illustrated at 22 is used and two strips 20 are guided, one above and one below the end of the bag. The guide bar 23 would then be replaced by a bar, such as that shown at 42 in Fig. 5, having a return bend 43 therein and as supporting a pair of guide tubes shown at 44, one overlying and one underlying the end of the bag to guide two handle strips 2%) into the line of stitching.

We claim:

1. In a machine for closing bags by producing a line of stitching across an open end of the bag, mechanism to form a. handle on the bag which comprises guide means to hold a strip of handle material in the line of stitching whereby it will be stitched to the bag, means to move said guide means out of the line of stitching to form a handle loop not stitched to the bag and means to return the guide means.

2. In a machine for closing bags by producing a line of stitching across an open end of the bag, mechanism to form a handle on the bag which comprises guide means to hold a strip of handle material in the line of stitching whereby it will be stitched to the bag, means to move said guide means out of the line of stitching to form a handle loop not stitched to the bag, means to return the guide means to the line of stitching and means for timing the movement of said guide means to locate the handle loop with respect to the width of the bag.

3. In combination with a machine for closing bags in which bags are conveyed in succession with their open ends passing through a stitching station, means to guide a strip of handle material into the line of stitching produced at said station, means to move said guide means out of the line of stitching to form a handle loop on each bag, means to return the guide means to the line of stitching and means actuated by movement of the bags to control the movement of the guide means.

4. In combination with a machine for closing bags in which bags are conveyed in succession with their open ends passing through a stitching station, means to guide a strip of handle material into the line of stitching produced at said station, electro-magnetic means to move said guide means out of the line of stitching to form a handle loop on each bag, resilient means to return the guide means to the line of stitching switches to energize and de-energize said electro-magnetic means, and actuating members on said switches extending into the path of travel of the bags for engagement by the bags as they move through the stitching station.

5. In combination with a machine for closing bags in which bags are conveyed in succession with their open ends passing through a stitching station, means to guide a strip of handle material into the line of stitching produced at said station, electro-magnetic means to move said guide means out of the line of stitching to form a handle loop on each bag, resilient means to return the guide means to the line of stitching switches to energize and de-energize said electro-magnetie means, and actuating members on said switches extending into the path of travel of the bags for engagement by the bags as they move through the stitching station, said switches being adjustably supported to enable control of the size and location of the handle loops on the bag.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 300,434 Baker June 17, 1884 1,920,823 West et a1. Aug. 1, 1933 2,253,731 Seaman Aug. 26, 1941 2,358,689 Dasher Sept. 19, 1944 2,434,158 Herr Jan. 6, 1948 2,539,627 Kindseth et al. Jan. 30, 1951 

